The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-28
GENERAL HARRIsoN,s SPEECH.

HENERAL HARR1SUN'S Sf6hUh.
The speech of General Harrison. delivered
on Saturday afternoon, at Danville, Hen
bricks county, is published in this issue of
the Journal and will command wide read
ing. A political meeting at this season of the
year, and at time when there is cam
paign, and none in prospect for several
months, is an anomaly; and yet the circum-
stances only make the Danville meeting more
interesting and the speech delivered the more
likely to have careful consideration. The
meeting was large. earnest and enthusiastic
The occasion was the first public meeting of
the Lincoln League recently organized in the
county, and which it is hoped will be organ
lied in every county Of the State this winter,
and similar meetings held, to be addressed by
local speakers or others, so that the political
issues to be voted upon next year may have
quiet hearing now, and the party be more
than ready for the actual work of the canvass
when it shall come. In this speech General
Harrison discusses few topics, and discusses
them plainly and strongly. Properly enough,
he puts first the question of an equal ballot,
North and South alike, N Indiana well as
in South Carolina and Georgia. This is a
present question with every honest citizen of
Indiana. In pursuance of deliberate plan,
embracing the whole country, the
voters of Indiana are laboring under a
Acknowledgement that destroys the equality
of the ballot, and until that question is set
tied. and settled right. it is folly
to talk about anything else. There
is no popular government, and questions
Of policy cannot be settled by majorities
unless the legal majority can express itself in
the result of elections. Chalk-faces may talk
Of the ''bloody shirt" as much as they will,
but until the equality of manhood suffrage is
assured, and placed upon basis where it will
not be disturbed, North and South, East and
West, the voice of the suppressed and dis
franchsed will be heard. Unsettled questions
have 20 respect for the repose of nations.
Men may cry peace, peace but there ia no
peace so long as a great wrong remains un-
righted. In the last campaign in this State
appeal was made against the Ubiquitous dis
reimbursement of portion of the people,
against the Infamous attempt to curtail the
value of the ballots of an entire class of vot-
ers, and not without avail. Yet, as General
Harrison says, that and the other issues
fought for at the polls still remain unsettled,
beca use Of the revolutionary action of the
if they were worth fighting for in 1886 they are
worth fighting for in 1888. The Temperance
question" is strongly and practically treated.
It is well said that the underlying principle is
one of obedience to law; that all good citizens
should stand together to compel the Liquor
League to obey the law, and that entirely out
side the question whether the law meets the
approval of every individual or not What
would any law be worth without public
sentiment that will enforce it7 And the men
who are aiding the liquor men in violating the
present law, on the theory that the more vio-
lations and the more unrestrained the traffic
the quicker the people will be aroused to the
necessities of total prohibition, are doing
very unwise and dangerous thing Out of the
spirit they are encouraging grew the red
mower or anarchy, and such scenes we're posi-
BILE as the Haymarket massacre in Chicago.
The only safety was obedience to law. Be-
tween the Liquor League and the Republican
party eternal divorce had been declared, and
the attitude of the party now and henceforth
was one of hostility, with its spear to the
breast of this lawless organization.
The General discussed other questions; the
surplus, and what to do with it; pensions-in
which he ann ounced the fact that he had been
the first to introduce into Congress measure
based on the principle of disability; and he
said the soldiers of the Nation, irrespective of
party. had determined to place in the presi-
Dental Office man who would approve just
and liberal pension measure, based upon the
principle of disability. But the whole speech
is well worth reading, and we commend it to
the Republicans of Indiana as good opener
of the next campaign.
TIE PRESENT AND TIE FHTUPE.